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Post your Top 3 1e Visuals!!
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frankfromgermany
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Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2005 6:25 am

Robh Ruppel rules! Esp the Ravenloft and planescape art. (Into the Abyss, Hellbound, Cat's Eye the cover of Dungeon 50, Death of a Darklord)
And of course this masterpiece: The Fall

Does anyone know in which book this piece appears (Complete Thief?):

Most of Brom's art (Elric, Drizzt, Prelude to War) is also great! But I do have a soft spot for some of the old 1E art pieces. They capture the feel of D&D, but are not as breathtakingly beautiful and visually stunning as some of the later Brom or Ruppel art. Or the artwork of the AlQadim books (both covers and interior art.)

I'm also a great fan of this Dragon cover by Daniel R Horne.

So Ruppel, Brom, Al'qadim art. Impossible to pick top three pieces...

scribe
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Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2005 10:19 pm

A few thoughts here.....

Thanks for all the great images. (let the images fly DungeonDelver!....just host them elsewhere. There really isn't additional stress to the server other than page views)
It is really cool to hear some perspectives on various collectors who happened to be interested in collecting a variety of different things. Plus, I am trying to deflect a bit of all teh 3e conversation :wink:

Anyhoo, I was glad to see a couple of Dragon Covers. They did such a great job roping talent in for covers that otherwise wouldn't have illustrated other TSR covers. Den Beauvis was one that was pointing out. Hildebrandt, Vallejo, Carl Lundgren and Dean Morrisey are a few others of many. Enduring images that are Dungeons and Dragons.

There seems to be an overwhelming response to Tramp. Duly noted and deserving! Perhaps the reluctant visual voice of our D&D experiences?

I hadn't even thought of the 3-d cartography or any cartography for that matter. I would happen to agree this is quite beautiful (if not useful, shipley! :D ) I remember exploring the 3d Dungeons of Dragonlance with my eyes as well way back when. I am liking alot what Bonk! is liking.

Nice images FrankfGermany and MrFilthy! I agree wholeheartedly. 2e imagery is long overdue to respected! It is at once amazing and beautiful.

"before chuck even gets in the room, you can feel the bad-ness." -Al

FormCritic
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Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 12:30 am

I love that cover of Dragon. I believe that its original title was, The Real Reason the Romans Abandoned Britain. It is the demon lord, Koschei, smashing Roman-like soldiers.

I think the best illustrations are the ones that inspire ideas for great adventures.

MRS

"But I have watched the dragons come, fire-eyed, across the world."

frankfromgermany
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Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 6:36 am

Hehe, right. It's Kostchtchie btw. Demon Lord of the Ice Wastes/Demon Prince of Frost Giants.

I found that out years after I put the picture (it's also a binder in some MC) on the back of my character folder.

Xaxaxe
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Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 2:33 pm

I might answer the question differently in a few weeks, but at this exact moment in time, here's my top three:

#3: If you don't recognize this map, you're reading the wrong forums.

#2: Erol Otus' only Dragon cover.

#1: My original copy of T1 literally began to fall apart from over-use.

+++++
P.S. My #4, BTW, is my current avatar (Parkinson's "Lord Soth's Charge")

Zenopus
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Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 3:10 pm

Great choices, Xaxaxe.

I love the classic blue maps. Number 1 is from In Search of Unknown, no? I was always more of a Keep on the Borderlands fan, but I happened to look at ISOU the other day after reading a post about by Badmike.

I'm not sure I could pick my top three pieces without a lot of consideration.

My favorite artists are Otus, Trampier, Roslof, and Sutherland.

Check out the Erol Otus "shrine":

http://jrients.tripod.com/otus/otus.html

Xaxaxe
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Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 3:33 pm

zhowar1 wrote:Number 1 is from In Search of Unknown, no?

Abso-tively.

Reindeergamez
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Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 4:58 pm

I love this cover, I can't believe the unicorn looks badass. =)

<br>
Everyone has a favorite Dragonlance cover, I always liked Triumph

<br>
And this one was a Dungeon Mag from the late 80's, it might have been on the cusp of 2nd ed, but who's counting. =)

And as for 2nd ed, I'm a big fan of Easley as well as Mind Flayers...

[/img]

Badmike
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Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2005 12:31 am

The most iconic images of AD&D to me are the covers to the original PHB, T1-4 and GDQ1-7.....all of them tell a story.
The cover to B1 In Search of the Unknown always puts a smile on my face (MONO version only). It was the first adventure I ever went on, the first adventure I ever DM'ed, and just looking at it gets my juices flowing for throwing dice, killing orcs and mapping out a corridor and a door at the end of it while saying "Ok, what do you guys do at the door? Listen? or break it down?". Classic.

Mike B.

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Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2005 5:30 am

frankfromgermany wrote:Hehe, right. It's Kostchtchie btw. Demon Lord of the Ice Wastes/Demon Prince of Frost Giants.

I found that out years after I put the picture (it's also a binder in some MC) on the back of my character folder.

The name is picked up from Russian folklore and slightly mis-spelled in the TSR mythos. Koschei the Undying, rendered here as a demon lord.

Anyway. Nerd stuff.

"But I have watched the dragons come, fire-eyed, across the world."

mdr003
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Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2005 6:28 am

Hi Adam -

Fantastic thread. Only three? You make it hard to choose.

3rd for me is a tie between the Otus basic boxed set, and the back cover of B2, showing the Keep at sunset.

2nd is the Players Handbook cover of the Idol.

1st is by Dave Trampier, and is one particular Wormy strip. From issue 96, Frank and Bender have killed a mud sucker and are floating on it down an underground river. For a couple of pages Tramp shows images of the caverns, which gradually increase in activity - first a few mushrooms, then fireflies are added, then a few trolls on the riverbanks. You turn the page, and its as if you' ve rounded the last bend in the river:

The underground city, in all its glory. Undoubtedly for me the most fantastic piece of art ever done in D&D or Dragon magazine (my crappy photo doesn't do it justice).

Regards

Mike

Beyondthebreach
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Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2005 6:59 am

Okay, finally got a chance to narrow it down:

#3 is "A Paladin in Hell".

#2 is this image which was used as the cover of Dragon #127. I remember that the picuture was "unititled" and Dragon suggested sending in a title and maybe they print it someday? I sent in "True Orcs at Heart" . . . anyway . . . .I have spent quite a bit of time staring at it. I really makes me feel as if I was witnessing the end of a real battle and how it would be in a D&D world. It seems to bring a personality to Orcs that I hadn't quite realized before as they challenge the conquering elves to one last fight.

#1 is the cover of the Basic Set (Red Dragon). My first D&D item and I can't tell you how many hours I have logged staring at it. I used to imagine each item in the Dragon's Horde, what it was, how many gold pieces, the levels and equipment of the fighter and magic-user, etc.

"Gleemonex makes it feel like it's seventy-two degrees in your head... all... the... time! "

Theleb
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Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2005 10:41 am

I also spent quite a bit of time staring at that Otus basic set box cover imagining the whole battle playing out. I think that painting more than any other defined D&D to me as as kid. I wonder if the original survived.
And that Wormy painting from Dragon 96 is also awesome, I had forgotten about it from all those years ago, but looking at it now brings back memories of observing its every detail. Trampier was awesome.
Good choice on the B2 back cover of the adventurers at sunset, it's very evocative of the essence of D&D.
This has been a great thread to reminisce with.

bclarkie
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Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2005 11:41 am

I have been reluctant to post because I dont think this thread is fair

There is no way in hell I can pick only 3.

So above and beyond some of the ones that have already been listed, i.e A1, A4, I6, Erol Otus Basic Set, Phb, DMG, Dragon #119, I am going out on my own and I listing for you my Top 10 (and in no particular order):

T1-4:

G1-3:

Northwatch:

I1:

X1:

X2:

S4:

CM3:

Dragon #106:

And finally, becuase it was so very different from any other module, WG4:

Sorry, for the huge post, but I just could not pick 3.

Hell I could have probably picked 25 if I really though about it and wanted to include interior artwork. :twisted:

The artwork is really what sucked me into the game back long long ago.....

"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." -Neitzche

Xaxaxe
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Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2005 1:53 pm

Interesting pick on WG4, which has generally been lambasted in the past as containing sub-par artwork. I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong (impossible, anyway, with how subjective art is), I'm just saying it's ... interesting. :wink:

RWilson
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Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2005 12:18 pm

#3: pg 110 monster manual- DCS

#2: Lolth and two demons fraternizing on the first page of Q1- Erol Otus

#1: Cover of Elmore Basic set

bclarkie
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Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2005 12:25 pm

Xaxaxe wrote:Interesting pick on WG4, which has generally been lambasted in the past as containing sub-par artwork. I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong (impossible, anyway, with how subjective art is), I'm just saying it's ... interesting.

Truthfully from a technical perspective, the cover for WG4 is pretty subpar. The thing that I think draws me to it is the fact that it so different from anything ever produced. The pastel colors in both the artwork and the cover make it seem kind of eerily drab. It is just so odd....

"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." -Neitzche

Ssendam
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Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 3:33 pm

1. Emerikol (sp) the Chaotic in PHB

2. Basic Set Erol Otus cover (wooden shield and spear = cool)

and

3.

ahhh.... there are so many!

The party awakens in a place where there is no light and no sounds but their own. Characters with infravision can ascertain that all party members are presented. The place they are in looks and feels like a natural cave, about 30 feet in diameter.

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